BORO showed that they do not deserve a play-off spot after a lame performance on a crunch afternoon as they were blitzed by the Premier League-bound Baggies.

AFTER victories for Swansea and Blackpool, Boro needed a win at the bare minimum to maintain their faint play-off pulse in Saturday’s tea-time game at West Brom.

So quite why they failed to function as their life support machine was smashed to bits rather than switched off in a pitiful non-performance at the Hawthorns is anybody’s guess.

Whatever the explanation, Boro were so far off the pace it was frightening as they lacked the right attitude and application in what appeared to be a half-hearted effort which made the rampant Baggies look like Barcelona.

So much for the optimistic theory that Albion would have their eye off the ball and be there for the taking after securing an immediate return to the Premier League. They were bright, committed and right up for it - everything Boro weren’t.

Boro meekly made up the numbers, allowing the boisterous hosts to take centre stage at their promotion party and swagger about poking fun at their guests.

Strachan welcomed Gary O’Neil back after Boro’s contractual differences with Portsmouth were sorted, but had to draft Jonathan Grounds into central defence for injured David Wheater.

Up front, Strachan opted for target man Chris Killen in place of the explosive but often erratic Leroy Lita.

But the writing was on the wall pretty much from the off, and if Strachan needed further evidence that he has a big task in turning Boro from Championship also-rans into promotion contenders, this was Exhibit A.

Without a series of saves from reborn Brad Jones, West Brom could have easily repeated the 5-0 demolition job they did on Boro at the Riverside early in the season.

Boro built well enough from the back at times in the opening stages, but misplaced passes and ran out of ideas when they got into midfield, where the tigerish Youssouf Mulumbu was outstanding for the home side.

A lack of width, energy and next to nobody able to beat a man was glaring - not afflictions West Brom suffer from.

Roberto di Matteo’s men ripped Boro apart and had a field day down the left flank in the first half.

Steven Reid pushed up from full-back to give the pedestrian Julio Arca - once again preferred to livewire youngster Jonathan Franks on the wing - problems, and Kyle Naughton had his hands full with Robert Koren.

Baggies fans enjoyed the spring sunshine - and their team’s supremacy - so much that they Mexican-waved on the terraces as Boro’s small but loyal band of supporters unsurprisingly opted out of the festivities.

Jones kept out shots from Simon Cox and former Boro winger Chris Brunt before the impressive Roman Bednar crashed an effort off the underside of the crossbar.

Boro could have got off the hook with their first genuine chance with the interval approaching when Scott McDonald scooped wide from 12 yards.

But it was no surprise when Cox thrashed the Brummies ahead with an unstoppable strike in first-half stoppage time.

Boro were crying out for some fresh legs at the start of the second half, but Strachan kept faith with the same personnel who were being battered.

Franks for Arca seemed an obvious choice, especially as the Argentine had copped a flailing Reid arm in the face and received an ear-bashing from Strachan while waiting to go back on.

Lita was introduced 10 minutes into the second period for the ineffective Killen, but the Baggies were two goals to the good through Bednar within seconds of his arrival after Boro made a pig’s ear of clearing their lines.

Boro finally began to show their teeth as McDonald got involved in a little and large spat with Jonas Olsson, and O’Neil and Stephen McManus were booked.

Lita’s acceleration at least gave the Baggies’ rearguard a taste of their own medicine amd Boro launched a mini late revival.

Barry Robson was one of Boro’s few decent performers, deserving credit for going strong to the finish, and it was from his free-kick that McDonald headed against an upright in stoppage time at the end of the game.

But Boro’s absence of a single shot on target told the full story. The majority of the side were simply not up to the job on a season-defining weekend which saw their fading play-off dream finally peter out.

Strachan will expect an instant reaction at home to his former club Coventry on Saturday and it’s the least that Boro fans deserve after this debacle.

The Teesside public have seen Boro’s seasons fizzle into the fleeting summer sun all too often in recent years.

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